Charging machine for scotch hearths



Feb. l0, 1931.

H. R. MacMlcHAEl. 1,791,677

CHARGING MACHINE FOR SGOTCH HEARTHS Original Filed Jan.

18, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l nvamtoz MMM Feb. 10, 1931. H. R. MacMlcHAEL CHARGING MACHINE FOR SCOTCH HEARTHS Original Filed Jan. 18, 1928 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3m-newton Feb. 10, 1931. H. R. MacMlcHAEL 1,791,677

CHARGING MACHINE FOR SCOTCH HEARTHS Original Filed Jan. 18, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGH R. MAUMICHAEL, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFINING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CHARGING MACHINE FOR SCOTCH HEARTHS Application filed January 18, 1928. Serial No. 247,5-30.

This invention relates to smelting apparatus, and more particularly to mechanism for feeding a hearth type furnace.

The feeding mechanism in accordance with this invention comprises a suitable supply hopper, feeding onto a travelingconveyor which delivers the charge to a feedmg chute.

The chute is formed of a plurality of sections, terminating over the hearth and may be moved longitudinally thereof for evenly distributing the charge. The sections are particularly adapted to distribute the charge to the furnace at substantially right angles to the line of travel of the chute whereby substantially the entire hearth area may be covered. .Y y

The inventionalso consists in certain new and original-"features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 shows an end view of the carriage and feeding mechanism and a section through the furnace;

Fig. 2 is a section view showing details of the feeding chute;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the carriage equipped with the feeding mechanism, looking toward the back of the furnace;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the construction of the conveyor;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the conveyor and chute;

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the gates for controllin the flow of the charge to the conveyor; and

Fig. 7 is a section taken'on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are lntended 'to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. l

Referring now to the drawings, and, more particularly to Fig. 1, so much of a hearth as is necessary to an understanding of the invention will bedescribed. The hearth comprises the usual trough 1, relatively shallow and narrow, but comparatively long. At the front end of the trough is a forwardly and slightly downwardly sloping apron 2. At the back of the trough is the furnace back which has a hollow space 3, in which cooling water may be circulated. Below the cooling space are a series of tuyres 4, extending the length of the furnace f-or supplying the necessary draft, as is well understood. Above the back is a canopy or hood 5 for catching the fumes and gases given ofi' by the furnace. The particular construction of the hearth, however, formsno part of the present invention and will not be described in detail.

Extending along in front of the furnace are two overhead track rails 6 supporting a traveling carriage 12 supported by two axles 7 and 8, each axle having two wheels 9. The carriage is made up of suitable structural members and ma support rabbling and shovelling mechanism (not shown) in addition to the feeding mechanism which is described more in detail hereinafter.

For driving the carriage 12 an electric motor 10 is providedv which is connected to one of the axles 8 through a gear train comprising cog wheels 11 and 14, and a worm drive reduction unit 15. It will be understood that the wheels 9 are rigidly secured to the axle 8, and that the gear train may be varied as desired.

The motor 10 is of the reversible type and may have provision for running at an increased speed when reversed. The carriage 1s adapted to travel in front of the hearth and is provided with a reversing switch (not shown) for controlling the motor 10. At the v ing osition at increased speed. At the starting position the switch'lever may hit anotherst'op (not shown) which causes the motor to-everse again, thereby causing the 5 `carriage to travel on its operating trip at the slower operating speed.

The carriage frame supports a suitable hopper 25 into which the char e, comprisin pre-mixed quantities of ore, urne and fue ered in any desired way. Hopper 25l tapers downwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and is provided with a side discharge opening 26, the size of which may be controlled by suitable gates 27. j Gates 27 may extend across the face of the hopper and serve to independently regulate the amount of material which is discharged from the various portions thereof. The gates may be provided with a curved bottom portion 28 and with an upstanding top portion 29 serving as a handle therefor. They may be slidably adjusted and secured by bolts 30 passing through slots 31 extending longitudinally thereof and secured in hopper 25 adjacent the opening 26 therein.

A traveling belt 35 is supported by car-A riage 12 adjacent the opening 26 of hopper 25. Said belt may be supported on a plurality of rollers 36 and driven by any suitable means from motor 16 as by reducing gear 37 and chain drive 38. The tension of belt may be regulated by adjusting the position of the axle of one o f the end rollers 35 40 (Fig. 4) which may be carried incross head 41 slidably mounted in groove 42. The position of cross head 41 may be adjusted by bolts 43. Intermediate rollers 36 serve to support the belt at the point where the charge is applied and prevent the weight of the charge from materially distorting the line of travel thereof.

Belt 35 after receiving a charge from hopper 25 discharges the same into chute 44 through the medium of a discharge hopper 45. Chute 44 (Figs. 1 and 2) comprises a plurality of feeders 46 superimposed in vertical relationship and extending over various portions of hearth. Ends 47 of feeders 46 may be of diagonal or slightly curved formation for suitably` spreading the charge transversely of the hearth. The innermost portion of the end 47 of upper feeder 46 is substantially in the same line as the outermost' portion of the next adjacent or second feeder and this same relationship is carried out through the entire assembly. By this arrangement the charge is distributed'throughout the entire width of the hearth and the triangular portion at the end of the hearth which the feeder has heretofore been unable to cover is reduced to a small percentage of that' present with a chute having the feeders 65 arianged in a single layer with a diagonal in a finely dividedcondition, may be deliv- Chute 44 may be mounted by exible members 48 and vibrated by suitable mechanism as by eccentric 50 secured by means of link 51 to an arm 52 attached to said chute. Said eccentric may be rotatedv directly from motor 16 as byl belt drive 53 (Fig. 5) and cooperating drlving pulleys 54 and 55. The amount of material discharged from hopper 25 into the various feeders 46 by chute 44 maybe controlled by selectivelyv regulating'gates 27 whereby the distribution of the material across belt 35 is varied. The upper ends of feeders 46 are suitably positioned for receiving material through discharge hopper 45 in substantial alignment with openings 26 in hopper 25. Consequently the material discharged from a specified portion of hopper 25, as determined by slides 27, is carried by belt 35 to the selected feeder.

The slope of the chute 44 may not be sulficient to cause the charge to fiow down unless the chute is shaken. Consequently the driving mechanism has been adapted to cause the chute to shake or vibrate in the manner above described, the loose spring montings 48 allowing this action. The slope of chute 44 should be such that the vibrations imparted to said chute are able to cause the charge to travel the length thereof and to be spread across the hearth from diagonal ends 47. The chute may be mounted in a horizontal position and the charge caused dto travel therein by means of a suitable reciprocating motion if desired. Obviously, if the slope of the chute is made sufficiently great the vibrating mechanism can be dispensed with and the charge fed entirely by gravity.

Asthe carriage travels on its operating trip, the charge will be fed down the feeders 46, and its distribution on the hearth will be controlled by the o ening of the gates 27. Suitable means may be provided for stopping the operation of belt 35 during the return trip of the carriage in order to prevent the apparatus from feeding at that time.

The mounting of the various feeders in vertical relationship with their ends extending transversely of the hearth by graduated distances permits the charge to be evenly spread across the entire hearth, and enables the feeder to work substantially to the end of the hearth. The traveling belt and the various gates arranged thereacross permit the rate of feed to the various feeders to be varied as desired. A

The arrangement is such that very accurate control of spreading may .be obtained, Aand by pre-mixing the fuel, ore and fume, a very efficient smelting action may be obtained. The poking operation followed by the leveling or shoveling operation above described may precede the feeding operation, and the poking and shoveling operations as above described, may be performed by apparatus (not be fed down the several feeders.

shown) mounted on the carriage, or may be performed by hand.

Thus an automatic feeding mechanism has been provided for a hearth type furnace which is effective and efficient in operation. The distribution of charge on the hearth can be readily controlled to meet dierent operating conditions imposed by various causes such as changes in the ore and in the condition of the fire. The relative distribution across the hearth may be controlled by operation of the gates to allow different amounts of charge to The relative distribution along the length of. the hearth may be controlled by changing the position of the gates along the path of travel of the carriage. The arrangementis simple and rugged in construction, insuring long life and small expense of upkeep. The feeding mechanism requires no great skill to operate and aids materially in maintaining a uniform and effective lire throughout the hearth, resulting in maximum metal recovery from the ore.

While certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Obviously coke and ore may be separately applied to the hearth through different feeding devices if desired.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination with a hearth type fur nace, a feeding mechanism therefor comprising a framework, means for moving said framework longitudinally of said hearth, a hopper carried by said framework for receiving the charge, a traveling belt for receiving material from said. hopper, and a chute extending over saidv hearth adapted to receive s material from said belt, said chute comprising a plurality of feeders arranged in vertical alignment.l

v2. In combination with a'hearth type furnace, a feeding mechanism therefor comprising a. framework, means for moving said framework lon itudinally of said hearth, a j hopper carried y said framework for receiving the charge, a traveling' belt for receiving material from said hopper, Vand a chute eX- tending over said hearth adapted to receive material from said belt, said chute comprising -a plurality of feeders arranged in' vertical alignment, said feeders having their ends of ,approximately diagonal formation and progressively displaced across said hearth.

A3. In combination with a hearth ty. e metallurgical furnace, a feedin mec anism therefor comprisin a ho per rliaving a discharge opening an a fee ing chute comprising a plurality of feeders arranged in different horizontal planes, a plurality of gates for regulating the size of said discharge opening, each of said gates being adapted to control the material fed to a selected feeder.

4. In combination with a hearth type metallurgical furnace, a feeding mechanism therefor comprising a supply hopper, a travcling belt adapted to receive a charge therefrom, a plurality of feeders, means for discharging material from said belt onto each of said feeders simultaneously, and Imeans associated with said hopper for adjustably controlling the material applied to each of said feeders.

5,. In combination with a hearth type furnace, a feeding mechanism therefor, comprising` a plurality of chutes having diagonal end portions, said end portions being spaced vertically and horizontally, and means for feeding material to be discharged to said chute.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set,

my hand.

HUGH R. MACMICHAEL. 

